Tiree (Argyll) Array Consents Application remains Indeterminate

There has been confusion as to when SPR may make its Consents Application.

In mid April, in unrelated correspondence between NTA and Marine Scotland (MS), it emerged that MS was expecting SPR’s consents application in the second half of 2014. This was manifestly wrong. In the ensuing correspondence between MS/NTA/SPR, David Walker (Iberdrola’s Development Director Offshore Business) advised NTA, on the 26th April as follows:-

Thank you for your email, our CEO has requested that I clarify on his behalf. We have separately responded to Marine Scotland on the same matter, however I can confirm that following the suspension of the Argyll Array development in 2012 we will review our future plans in late 2013 and therefore cannot advise any planned date for the consents application until that time when detailed scheduling will be reconsidered.

However, in last week’s Oban Times in an article headed “Major West Coast Offshore Wind Farm Developments Face Delays” an SPR spokesman stated;-

SPR is currently reviewing data…. These reviews are being completed with a view to submitting a planning application to the Scottish Government towards the end of 2015..

Consequently NTA reverted to David Walker to ask him if anything had changed since his 26th April clarification. He replied (20th May) as follows:-

Nothing has changed in the last 3 weeks since my email and any date for consents applications remains indeterminate.

One comment

There seems to be very little to now support this “great white Elephant”…environmental, economic and political insecurity are driving thenails into the coffin … Lets hope the MPA goes through later this year and finish this nonsense once and for all….